Contents

History

On 11 January 1890, the United Kingdom issued an ultimatum
demanding that Portugal
refrain from occupying land lying between the Portuguese colonies
of Angola, on the west coast of Africa, and Mozambique, on the east coast, thereby
forming one contiguous polity (as proposed on the Pink Map.) Despite a
popular uproar, the Portuguese government was forced to accept
Britain's demands. This contributed to the unpopularity of King Carlos I and the monarchy, and it garnered
support for the increasingly-popular republican movement in Portugal.[1]

The night after the ultimatum was accepted, the composer, Alfredo Keil, at the
suggestion of a group of friends that included Rafael Bordalo Pinheiro and Teófilo Braga,
wrote the melody for A Portuguesa as a patriotic protest
march. Inspired by the outrage felt by the Portuguese people, the
lyricist, Henrique Lopes de Mendonça,
accepted Keil's request to create words to suit his melody.
Mendonça said A Portuguesa was a song "where the
fatherland's wounded soul would merge with its ambitions of freedom
and revival"; he hoped it would be an anthem, embraced by the
people, that could express their yearning for national vindication.
Such expressions are epitomized by La Marsellaise,
the Portuguese fado, and Hino
da Maria da Fonte (English:
The Maria da Fonte
Anthem).[2]
The march was quickly disseminated; several thousands of copies of
the sheet music were freely distributed, together with fliers and
posters. The song's popularity also spread across national borders,
and verses were translated into other languages.[2]

On several stages in Lisbon, A Portuguesa drew special
attention. On 29 March 1890, the march was performed at the Great
Patriotic Concert, held in the Teatro Nacional de São
Carlos (English: Saint Charles National Theatre), as
well as in every other theatre in the capital. Beyond its use in
cultural displays, A Portuguesa was also exploited for
commercial gain. Several food products, like canned sardines and
cookies, were named for this song.[2]

However, the song was perceived as a political weapon, and it
was soon converted into a republican hymn. This political co-option
of the theme's original meaning forced both authors to disavow this
vision and stress its purely non-partisan sentiments.[2]
On 31 January 1891, a republican-inspired rebellion broke out in
the northern city of Porto and
A Portuguesa was adopted by the rebels as their marching
song. The rebellion was crushed, and the song was banned. However,
it was never forgotten, and, on 5 October 1910, a new and stronger
rebellion developed as A
Portuguesa played in the background. A year later, the first
session of the Constituent
Assembly officially proclaimed it as the national anthem.[1]

In 1956, the emergence of melodic variants of the anthem forced
the government to create a committee whose aim was to define an
official version. On 16 July 1957, the current version was
proposed, and it was approved by the Council of
Ministers.[1]

Sea heroes, noble people,
Brave, immortal nation,
Raise today once more
Portugal's splendor!
Amidst the mists of memory,
O Fatherland, the voice is heard
Of your egregious forefathers,
That shall lead you to victory!

Hoist the undefeated Flag,
In the lively light of your sky!
May Europe cry out to the whole Earth:
Portugal has not perished
Your merry ground
The Ocean kisses, roaring with love,
And your victorious arm
Gave new worlds to the World!

Salute the Sun that rises
Over a gleeful future;
Let the echo of an offense
Be the sign for a comeback.
Rays of this strong dawn
Are like a mother's kisses,
That keep us, sustain us,
Against the injuries of fate.

Chorus

The anthem's official version consists of the first stanza and the chorus from Mendonça's poem only.

The last line of the chorus, "Contra os canhões marchar,
marchar!" (English: Against the cannons, march, march!),
is an alteration of the original, "Contra os bretões marchar,
marchar" (English: Against the Britons, march, march!),
an angry reference to the British Ultimatum.[3]

Protocol

Within Portugal, the anthem is played at both civilian and
military ceremonies where the country, flag, or head of state (the
President of the Republic) is
honored. It is also played at receptions for foreign heads of
state, following that of the visitor, and in ceremonies during
official presidential visits to other countries.[1]

From Wikisource

A Portuguesa is the national anthem of Portugal. It was
written by Henrique Lopes de Mendonça (lyrics) and Alfredo Keil
(music) after the nationalist resurgence provoked by the British
Ultimatum (for Portuguese troops to vacate the territory between
Angola and Mozambique), was adopted as a Republican anthem and,
finally, by the new Portuguese Republic in 1910 as the national
anthem, replacing "O Hino da Carta", the last anthem of the
Constitutional Monarchy in Portugal.

Heroes of the sea, noble race,
Valiant and immortal nation,
Now is the hour to raise up on high once more
Portugal's splendour.
From out of the mists of memory,
Oh Homeland, we hear the voices
Of your great forefathers
That shall lead you on to victory!

CHORUS:
To arms, to arms
On land and sea!
To arms, to arms
To fight for our Homeland!
To march against the enemy guns!

Unfurl the unconquerable flag
In the bright light of your sky!
Cry out all Europe and the whole world
That Portugal has not perished.
Your happy land is kissed
By the Ocean that murmurs with love.
And your conquering arm
Has given new worlds to the world!

CHORUS

Salute the Sun that rises
On a smiling future:
Let the echo of an insult be
The signal for our revival.
The rays of that powerful dawn
Are like a mother's kisses
That protect us and support us
Against the insults of fate.

A PotruguesaA Portuguesa (pronounced IPA:([ɐ puɾ.tu.'ɣe.zɐ]) is the national anthem of Portugal. Only the first part of the lyrics is the national anthem. The other parts, or stanzas, are part of the song, but not part of the anthem.